Thunderfighter
' |image= |caption=Standard Earth Directorate Thunderfighter |type=ED-SF-012 Medium Starfighter |manufacturer= |producedat= |affiliation=Earth Directorate |length=30.3 feet (9.2 meters) |width=17.8 feet (5.4 meters) |height=10.7 feet (3.3 meters) |emptyweight=14.5 tons (13.1 metric tons) |fullweight= |power=Fusion power supply with a 15 day duration at normal output. Fusion power supply can run life support without any thrust for 2 years although rations and water will have long run out. |sublight drive= |ftl drive= |atmosphere speed=Escape velocity (Mach 32.6 / 25053 mph / 40320 kph) but normally operates at Mach 8 (6160.7 mph / 9907.2 kph) or less. |sublight speed=40% of lightspeed |ftl speed= |ftl scale= |atmosphere range= |sublight range=Fuel for 15 days of standard performance. If fighter is operating at maximum performance, reduce range by half. Fighter uses hydrogen for fuel for a fusion reactor. The fighter can operate with engines on standby to increase fighter's range. |ftl range= |armament=8 Laser Cannons, mounted on either side of the booms near the front of the fighter. |defence= |crew=1 |passengers=1 - 2 |cargo=Small Storage Space, 4 ft x 4.5 ft x 4 ft. Used for emergency equipment and weapons but a passenger can be crammed in emergency. |intro= |role= |cost=25 million credits to build. |other=The fighter has enough pilot supplies for 3 weeks.Kitsune Buck Rogers Starfighter |appears=Buck Rogers in the 25th Century }} =Description= The Thunderfighter is a medium starfighter used by the Earth Defense Directorate to protect the Earth and all starships in service in with the Earth government. The fighter is very maneuverable and heavily armed. The fighter can launch and land under its own power but often uses electromagnetic launch systems to reach a greater initial velocity than would be otherwise possible. The fighter is built around two needle like structures and could be described as being built in a twin boom construction. The body of the fighter could be described as a futuristic version of the old World War Two P-38 Lighting twin engine fighter. Both booms have two sharp noses and the fighter's twin engines are mounted with one on the rear of each of these boom structures. Between the two structures is the fighter's cockpit which contains a position for the pilot forward and behind the pilot is a second compartment for a passenger. The passenger compartment faces aft. The cockpit is rather blocky, has few rounded surfaces, and is mounted on an almost flat surface with stretched between the two boom structures. The fighter has delta style wings and two control surfaces facing downwards near the rear of the fighter. The fighter is armed with eight laser cannons mounted near the front of the fighter and near where the booms extend from the rest of the body of the fighter. While the laser cannons are not that powerful individually, all eight firing together can inflict surprising damage. When the fighter is being used against starships, it can carry two anti-ship missiles mounted on the underbelly. These fighters were originally fitted with a combat program designed to fight better than the pilots themselves. This program was found to be predictable and a large number of pilots were lost as a result. The program is no longer used by pilots and loss rates have decreased significantly. This fighter does have some disadvantages when compared to starfighters from other universes. The ship uses ion engines which have a lower duration than the gravity based engines used in most Starships within the Three Galaxies. The Earth Directorate fighter also do not use missiles regularly and would likely suffer against any opponent who regularly uses missiles. =Variants= Buck_rogers_quad_fighter_ft_by_taranis69-d34enba.jpg|Earth Directorate Quadfighter 'Quadfighter' This is a modified version of the Thunderfighter with an enlarged cockpit. Buck and Major Marla Landers used a Quadfighter for their mission to Sinaloa.(Vegas In Space) 'Traeger's fighter' Early version of the Thunderfighter, fitted with additional flight surfaces. Trager used an example for his long range reconnaissance mission. (Happy Birthday Buck) =Behind the Scenes= The Thunderfighter was developed from the original concept for the Viper fighter for the original 1970s version of Battlestar Galactica. 'Fanart Gallery' Starfighter-02.png|Thunderfighter in Earth Directorate Markings starfighter-03.png|Thunderfighter in BSG:TRS Style Markings =References= Category:Buck Rogers in the 25th Century Category:Earth Forces Category:Medium Fighters Category:Non FTL Fighters